Stephen Baster won the juvenile race at Sandown on Wednesday then set his sights on a much greater prize for the same trainers on Saturday.
Baster piloted the Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison-trained Lady Trickster to a convincing 2-1/2 length win in Wednesday’s Equiano – King Of Speed Handicap (900m) at her second start.
In the process she solidified the form of stablemate Eloping who thrashed Lady Trickster by more than six lengths at Bendigo in the VOBIS Gold Rush.
The speedy Eloping runs in Saturday’s $3.5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill from a wide gate and is one of the outsiders in betting.
“This filly finished a fair way behind Eloping and she (Lady Trickster) came out and won today,” Baster said.
“The form keeps standing up. She (Eloping) is a great little filly and fingers crossed she gets through the wet.
“The barrier is not ideal but she’ll be there for a long way.”
While Eloping takes on the country’s best two-year-olds on Saturday, Morgan said there were stakes options in Adelaide or Sydney for Lady Trickster.
Lady Trickster positioned just behind the speed in Wednesday’s race before sprinting to the front inside the final 200m.
Meanwhile, the Danny O’Brien-trained Tear Gas earned herself a shot at the Australasian Oaks (2000m) with her win in the Schweppes Handicap (1700m).
Luckless when a first-up fourth at Sandown, Tear Gas was suited by a solid tempo and distance rise to score a strong 3-1/4 length win.
“It became a test of stamina and that’s what we think this filly’s strengths are,” O’Brien said.
“I’d suspect she’ll go to Adelaide for the lead-up to the Oaks on Saturday week and then two weeks later to the Australasian Oaks.”
Tear Gas was the first of two winners for jockey Craig Williams who added to his tally on Reldas, while apprentice Harry Coffey rode his second city double in the space of a week with wins aboard Luck’s A Fortune and Taiyoo.
Taiyoo gave premiership-leading trainer Darren Weir the second leg of a double after an earlier victory by Musica Royale.
